Subsequent treatment of yarns and the like



Patented Sept. 25, 1934 SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF THE LIKE YARNS AND Charles F. Dulken, Arlington, N. J.

Application February 3, 1932, Serial No. 590,699 In Germany February 4, 1931 4 Claims.

It has already been proposed to moisten yarns and the like on machines in which the yarn bobbins and the like are led on conveyor bands past moistening devices of any suitable kind. This moistening may also be made regulable by various arrangements in a known manner. For many kinds of yarn, more particularly for hard-twist and fine yarns, a steaming process is required for completely refining them. Hitherto this steam ing process has been carried out in apparatus, steaming boxes and the like, which are arranged separately from the moistening arrangement. Arrangements are also known, in which the steaming and moistening processes are effected simultaneously in a single operation.

In contradistinction thereto the new invention is directed to a method of steaming and moistenig yarn and the like in a single operation, the peculiarity of which consists in this, that the two treatments are carried out in one operation in immediate succession, each being regulable independently of the other. The yarns travel continuously during one treatment and then during the other treatment. This results in the following advantages:

(1) The separate treatment on two different devices entails twice the expenditure in attendance. Furthermore, when the steaming and moistening is effe :ted simultaneously, the output and consequently the profitableness of the machine must depend on the slower working process, usually the steaming. With the method according to the invention, however, each operation can be regulated independently of the other and be 0 adjusted to a fixed output.

(2) The separate steaming and moistening in succession in one and the same operation, while saving attendance, avoids the condensation of the steam to be expected with a simultaneous treatment, which would result in unmanageable conditions and impair the effectiveness of the steam.

A suitable arrangement'for carrying out the new method is one which for the moistening device makes use for instance of the machine described in German Patent 466,214, while the steaming device in the form of a box with a conveyor band travelling through it is disposed in front of or behind the moistening machine or, for saving space and simplifying the drive, preferably above it. The two conveyor bands are independently regulable, so that an adjustment may be made to obtain what experience will show to be the best for each of the two treatments.

For preventing condensation and dripping in the steaming chamber proper it may be advisable in some cases to'heat the steaming box, for instance by providing the box with a double wall and admitting steam to the intermediate space.

The apparatus for carrying out the method is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is longitudinal section through the device, and

Fig. 2 a plan view.

The device consists substantially of a box with two compartments. The upper compartment 1 represents the steaming device and the lower compartment 2 the moistening device. In the upper compartment is a continuous conveyor consisting of an endless conveyor band 3 which is guided by two rollers 4 and 5. The band travels in the direction of the arrow 6. The band is driven from a change speed arrangement consisting of two conical drums 7 and a belt 8. The driving drum is rotated by a power shaft 9. In the steaming chamber 1 are several perforated tubes 10 which are fed with steam from a common steam supply pipe 11. In the supply pipe 11 is a regulable valve 12. The top wall of the steaming chamber 1 is provided with an opening 13. Below the steaming chamber 1 a heating arrangement 14 is provided.

In the moistening compartment there is also a continuous conveyor consisting of an endless band 15 which is guided over two rollers 16 and 17. The roller 1'7 is also driven by a change speed arrangement consisting of two conical drums 18 and a belt 19. The driving shaft 20 is connected by two toothed wheels 21 having the same number of teeth with. the main driving shaft 9. Consequently the conveyor 15 travels in the opposite direction to the conveyor 3, as indicated by the arrow 22.

The two compartments 1 and 2 are connected on the right-hand side in the drawing by a vertical passage 23. At the delivery side of the conveyor 15 is a discharge opening 24.

In the moistening compartment 2 are several perforated tubes 25 which are fed with moistening liquid from a common supply pipe 26, in which is a regulable valve 27.

When the apparatus is in operation the yarn bobbins or cops are thrown through the top feed opening 13 on to the upper conveyor 3. The cops are thereupon passed by the conveyor along-under the steam spraying tubes 10, thus causing the yarn to be highly heated. At the delivery end of the conveyor 3 the cops fall through the passage 23 on to the receiving end of the second conveyor 15. The latter carries the cops in the opposite direction along under the moistening tubes 25 up to the discharge opening 24. By means of the change speed devices 7, 8 and 18, 19 the speed of each conveyor can be independently regulated.

The invention provides the great advantage that the hard-twist yarns which are treated with heat and moisture lose their curls or loops, so that the machine delivers a yarn having a thread which will run well and smoothly.

The device shown in the drawing only represents one constructional form of the invention.

' Many modifications are possible which will suggest themselves to anyone skilled in the art. For instance the moistening operation can be carried out in the manner described in German patent specification 466,214 referred to above. Or the perforated tubes 10 may lie beneath the conveyor band 3.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for subsequently conditioning yarns and the like, comprising in combination a steaming device and a moistening device, means for heating the steaming device, a conveyor band in each device, means for automatically transferring the yarns when in a hot steamed condition from the steaming device directly to the moistening device and means for regulating the speed of the conveyor bands independently of one another, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An apparatus for subsequently conditioning yarns and the like, comprising in combination, a single housing, a steaming device therein, a moistening device also in the housing, means for regulating the supply of steam and the supply of moistening liquid independently of one another, a conveyor band in each device for continuously passing yarns therethrough, means for automatically transferring the yarns after having passed through one device directly to the other device and means for regulating the speed of the conveyor bands independently of one another, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. An apparatusfor subsequently conditioning yarns and the like comprising in combination a housing divided into upper and lower compartments and having means establishing communication between the compartments adjacent one end thereof, a steaming device in the upper compartment, a moistening device in the lower compartment, each of said devices including a conveying means, means for operating both said conveying means so that the conveying means of the steaming device moves toward the commucation means to effect transferral of steamed hanks onto the moistening device while the conveying means of the moistening device moves in an opposite direction, and means associated with the operating means for independently controlling the speed of both of the conveying means so that the conveying means of the moistening device can be operated at a much greater speed than the conveying means of the steaming device.

4. An apparatus for subsequently conditioning yarns and the like comprising in combination a housing having end walls, a partition extending horizontally in the housing from one end wall to points short of the other end wall to leave a passageway establishing communication between the two compartments provided by the partition, an inlet in the top of the housing at the end opposite the passageway, a discharge outlet at. the end wall opposite the passageway, endless conveyor bands operating horizontally in both of said compartments the upper conveyor band having one of its ends aligning with the edge of the passageway, steam spraying pipes in the upper compartment, heating means contained within the partition, spraying pipes arranged in the lower compartment above the conveyor band therein, means for operating said bands so that the band in the steam heating chamber travels from the inlet towards the passageway, while the band beneath the moistening pipes travels from the passageway towards the discharge apparatus and operating means including means for independently regulating the speeds of said conveyor bands.

CHARLES F. DULKEN. 

